In curling terms, he's the skip of the team. But the new president of the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce says the team behind him is so good that he is almost a figurehead.

But John Ryce has earned the title. Sworn in as 2012 president by Mayor Mark Gerretsen at a political update breakfast of the Chamber at the Kingston Banquet and Conference Centre at Days Inn January 10, Ryce says he is one of the longest serving, if not the longest serving board member in recent history.

"I've been on the board for seven years," said Ryce, who is a financial planner and manager with Investors Group in Kingston. "It was my turn to step up to the plate."

The progression from third vice-president to president and then past president is a five-year commitment, but it's worth it, says Ryce. "I really believe in what the Chamber does and what it stands for. I'm really excited about our new five-year strategic plan; it's the first time we have had a long-term plan."

Ryce, who is a curler and skip at the Royal Kingston Curling Club, said presiding over the Chamber and skipping a team are similar in that you have to rely on your team. And in the Chamber staff, he says, he has a "phenomenal" team.

"I can't say enough how easy they make it," he said. "We have a strong staff and we have a strong board of directors, with eight new members - the biggest turnover since I have been on the board."

As president, Ryce oversees the 880-member Chamber of Commerce and its various committees and does a lot of networking for business and advocacy.

His first official role was to preside over the head table at the political update breakfast, which featured speakers Mark Gerretsen, Kingston and The Islands MPP John Gerretsen and MP Ted Hsu.

About 140 people attended the members only breakfast, sponsored by Kelly Services, including former mayor Harvey Rosen, former city councillor Bittu George, Kingston Police chief Stephen Tanner, Jeff Garrah, CEO of the Kingston Economic Development Corporation, and Gerard Hunt, CAO of the City of Kingston.

The political update was a chance for leaders to brag about their own achievements and those of their respective governments over the past year and to offer their perspectives on the year to come.

Mayor Gerretsen spoke about council's 2011 - 2014 strategic plan and its key strategies, mentioning specifically the rejuvenation of brownfields in the old industrial area of the city, the widening of John Counter Boulevard to four lanes (the section from Divison Street to Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard to be completed by the end of 2013), the new Public Works yard on Division Street, and an investment of $5-million in affordable housing.

He also underlined the Mayor's Task Force on Economic Development which he initiated at the end of 2011 and which council approved with a budget of $100,000 to look at ways to reduce red tape for new business in the city.

Noting that the Task Force was greeted with some controversy, he said, "If you don't believe in development, then I'm not going to convince you that this is a good thing for the city. But if you do believe in development, it's very difficult to argue with this. All we're doing is looking at comparable municipalities in Ontario and saying how are we measuring up to everybody else and how can we make sure we're just as aggressive as everybody else is."

The mayor was followed by his father, MPP John Gerretsen, who spoke about his appointment as Attorney General.

"It has rejuvenated me," he admitted, "particularly after the election and everything that has happened over the last year."

Gerretsen highlighted the work of the Eastern Ontario Development Program and how it has created 300 jobs locally in the high tech sector and said he looked forward to the release of the government commissioned review of public services headed by Don Drummond.

Changes are coming, he said, "But just because we've always done things a certain way, doesn't mean we have to continue to do things that way . . . let's look at a different ways. We simply can't go on the way we have."

Last up was Hsu, who touched on the coming federal budget and the public spending cuts it will entail. Since Kingston's economy relies heavily on the public sector, he said, it is important to grow the private sector, in a sustainable way, and especially through innovation.

The next Chamber event is the open house January 20, including a new member orientation session.